Process of and apparatus for making bar soap



Oct. 13, 1936. w. A. HUTToN PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAR SOAP INVENTOR M711: Huilen IPM,

Maw

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 13,1936

PROCESS F AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAR SOAP Willis A. Hutton, seattle, wash.

Application February 2, 1933, Serial No. 654,920

8 Claims.

My invention relates to a process of and apparatus for making bar soap and the general object of my invention is to provide a process and apparatus for taking molten soap directly from the soap kettles and completing the saponication of the soap and cooling and forming said soap into bars by one continuous operation which can be carried out in a very short period of time.

-Another object of my invention is to provide a process and apparatus for making bar soap in which any and all additions to the soap, such as soda ash, silicate of soda, borax, talc, perfumes, or the like may be added after the molten soap has left the soap kettle but before the soap has passed through several pumps, coolers, pipes and the like whereby the added product will be thoroughly incorporated into the soap and mixed with the soap as it passes through pumps, pipes, coolv rs and the like in such a manner that volatile matter will have no opportunity to escape and solid matter will have no opportunity to separate or settle as may happen when Ivolatiles or solid matter are introduced into the soap kettle.

Another object is to provide 'a process of and apparatus for' making bar soap in which-the usual soap frames are eliminated thus doing away with certain well known losses which always result from' the use of soap frames which losses may be due to leakage of the frames before the soap has hardened or to the formation of air cavities in the soap within the frames or to the production of scrap or trimmings at the time the soap is taken out of the frames and cut up into bars, or to two or more of these causes.

Another object is to provide a process of and apparatus for making bar soap in which the soap is protected from contact with dust and dirt specks which may be floating in the air until after the wap has been cooled enough to be sufficiently hardened on the surface so that dirt and dust will not adhere thereto. 'I'his avoids undesirable specks on white or light colored soap.

Another object is to greatly simplify and cheapen the cost of processes ofA making bar soap and to greatly reduce the time required for making bar soap and also y to greatly reduce the amount ofthe equipment required for making bar soap thus effectinga substantial saving in the cost of equipment, labor and factory and storage space.

Another object of my invention is to provide a soap in which substantially complete saponication is secured due to the fact that this soap is subjected to a very high pressure and is passed through a saponifying valve while it is yet hot.

Other and more specic objects will be apparent from the following. description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings In the drawingFigure 1 -is a somewhat ,diagrammatic view partly in section and partly in side elevation of apparatus which may be usodin carrying outmy process of making bar soap.- Fig. 2 is a detached sectional view of one form of saponifying valve. 1

Fig. 3 is a detached plan view` of a flat oval shaped conduit in which the soap column is formed to the correct cross sectional shape for the bars.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of said conduit on a larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic view partly in section and partly in elevation of the soap bar cut off mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a detached sectional view of one of the manifolds and the ends of pipes connected therewith. Y

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring especially to Fig. 1 of the drawing, 5 designates a conditioning kettle adapted to contain hot liquid soap,A which has been thoroughly prepared by the usual cooking or heat treatment process, from fats and alkalis preferably without the addition of binder or builder or iiller or any inactive substance. This hot soap `may be introduced through a pipe 6 into the kettle 5 and said kettle m'ay be provided with means, not shown, for keeping the soap at any desired temperature.

From the conditioning kettle 5 the soap passes through a. pipe 1 to a low pressure pump 8 by which it is placed under the iirst stage of pressure and is forced through a pipe 9 to a high pressure pump I0. In the high pressure pump I0, the hot liquid soap is placed under a high pressure preferably in excess of one thousand pounds per square inch and is forced through a saponifying'valve II which may be of a form more clearly shown in Fig. 2. From the saponifying valve II the soap travelsthrougb a pipe I2 to a manifold I3 from which it passes into a temperature controlling unit designated generally by I4. 'I'his temperature controlling unit may be composed of three concentrically disposed pipes I5, 'I6 and I1 positioned one within the other in spaced relation to leave a central tubular passageway I8 for temperature controlling agent; an intermediate annular soap passageway 20 preferably of very narrow width;

and an annular outer passageway II for temperature controlling agent.

The manifold I3, Fig. 6, through which the soap enters the temperature controlling unit extends through a cap 22 on the outer tube I1 and is connected with a plug 23 in the end of the intermediate tube I6 so thatA soap passing through said manifold I3 enters the tube I6 and travels along the annular space 28 formed between the outer wall of the pipe I5 and the inner wall of the pipe I6. A water pipe 24 of substantially smaller diameter than the manifold I3 communicates through a plug 25 with the interior of the axial pipe I5 and extends into the manifold I3 and is connected with another pipe 26 which extends outwardly through one side of the manifold I3. Another pipe 21 communicating with the water space between the pipe I1 and the pipe I6 is preferably connected with the pipe 26.

Another manifold 28 is provided at the other end of the pipes I5, I6 and I1. This manifold extends through a cap 38 on the pipe I1 and into a plug 3l on the pipe I6 and communicates with the interior of the pipe I6. A water pipe 32 extends into the side of the manifold 28 and thence lengthwise along said manifold and through a plug 33 in the end of the pipe I5 and communicates with the interior of the pipe I5. A soap outlet pipe 34 communicates with the outer end of the manifold 28 and preferably extends back along side the pipes I5, I6, and I1 to a point near the head end thereof Where it branches and is connected with one pipe 35 leading to a chamber or receptacle 36 and with another pipe 31 leading back to the soap kettle 5. Valves 38 and 39 are provided in the respective pipes 35 and 31. Steam inletpipes 48 and A40' are connected respectively with the water 'pipe 32 and with the sap outlet pipe 34'and valves 4I and'42 are provided in the respective steam inlet pipes 48 and 48. Valves 43 and 44 are provided in the water pipe 32 on opposite sides of its connection with the steam pipe 38. Temperature indicat- 'fzg devices or thermometers 45 are provided in amm-:etici: with the several water pipes and soap pipes at locations where it is desired to observe he temperature. A steam inlet pipe 46 is preferably connected with the pipe 1 through which 'the soap is drawn oif from the soap kettle 5 and a valve 41 is provided in this steam pipe 46. Two valves 48 and 49 may be provided in the pipe 1 on opposite sides of its point of connection with the steam pipe 46. A drain pipe 58 having a valve 5I therein may be connected with the pipe 1.

A tank 52 adapted to hold materials which are to be mixed with thesoap, such as soda ash,ysili cate of soda, borax, talc perfumes, alcohol or any mixture of the same may be connected by a pipe 53 with the pipe 1 just before it enters the low pressure pump 8. A valve 54 may be provided in the pipe 53. The tank 52 is preferably positioned high enough so that-the liquid soap will not rise by gravity into said tank 52. When the apparatus is in operation there will be. normally, a slight suction in the pipe 1 which will be communicated to the pipe 53 and this suction will tend to draw materials from the tank 52 into the-pipe 1.

In case high grade, expensive volatile perfumes or other ingredients of volatile nature are to be put into the soap they may be introduced through a pipe 55 by means of a pump 56 which is connected with a closed container 51 in which the perfumes or other material may be stored.

By the time the molten soap has passed through the pumps and has passed throughout the length of the narrow space 28 with the cooling, agent on both the inside and the outside of such space and has traveled through the pipes 34 and 35 to the receptacle 36 it will be cool enough to form into bars. The bar forming means is in the na- ;ture of a conduit 68 of oval shaped cross section Fig. 4, which has a convergent end 6I connected with the receptacle 36. 'I'his conduit is preferably formed with rounded edges 62 so that the bars of soap issuing therefrom will have rounded edges and will more readily drop into a conventional die of a stamping machine by which the bar may be stamped or pressed after it is formed. This conduit 68 may be made by filling a tube: with sand and then flattening a portion of said tube, one end of the tube being left round, the incline between the flattened portion and the round portion being gradual.

As the endless column of soap issues from the outer endvof the conduit 68 it passes under a knife 63 which is mounted for vertical movement in a frame 64 and held in raised position by an electromagnet `65 acting on a plunger 66 to which the knife 63 is secured. The frame 64 is mounted on a table section 61 which has a limited amount of endwise movement whereby the knife 63 may move longitudinally with the column of soap during the cutting oif process. Spring means 68 urges the table section 61 back against a table or support 69 on which the conduit rests. As the column of soap 5 issues from the conduit 68 the end thereof will come in contact with and move a switch trigger 18. This will open a switch 1I and close a switch 13 thereby de-energizing the lifting electromagnet 65 and energizing another electromagnet 14 by which the plunger 66 will be snapped downwardly. The switch 1I is interposed in a circuit including the electromagnet 65 and source of energy wires 15 and 16 and the switch 13 is interposed in a circuit which includes the electromagnet 14 and the source of energy wires 15 and 16. 'Ihe energizing of the electromagnet 14 snaps the knife 63 downwardly with a quick stroke thus cutting olf the end of the soap column to form a bar. The knife 63 carries a foot member 11 which engages the top of the severed bar of soap at the instant the knife has completely severed the bar from the soap column and pushes said bar downwardly through an opening 18 in the table section 61 thereby disposing of the severed bar of soap. As soon as the severed bar of soap is pushed downwardly far enough to be clear of the switch finger 18, this finger 18 will be released allowing a tension spring 88 to open the switch 13 and close the switch 1I. This de-energizes the cutting electromagnet 14 and energizes the lifting electromagnet 65 and the knife 63 is snapped back up into the raised position where it is held until the electromagnet 14 is again energized.

As soon as the knife 63 encounters the column of soap on its downward stroke said knife and the table extension 61 will begin to move with the column of soap and will continue to move withV the column of soap until the bar of soap has been severed and pushed down and the knife withdrawn clear of the advancing end of the soap vcolumn and the table section 65 will then be returned by the spring 68 to its normal position before the advancing end of the soap column again encounters the switch trigger 18., In this way the length of the bars which are cut off will always be measured accurately and successive bars will be the same length irrespective of variations in the speed of travel of the soap column.

After the bars have been cut oi! they will be ready to go to the stamping dies and-thence to the wrapping machines both of which may be of the usual conventional form. The bars which are shaped in the conduit il will have rounded edges and will drop into the stamping dies very easily and without danger of catching, thus speeding up the stamping operation. The knife 6I will cut the ends very smoothly without any waste. To facilitate the smoothness of cut of this knife I preferably keep said knife moist with salt water. This may be done by allowing said knife to come in contact with a pad ll which is kept saturated with salt water.

In carrying out this process the prepared molten soap from the soap kettle I will be caused. to ow. by gravity and by suction of the pump l, to the said pump 8, it being understood that the valves I8 and 49 will be open and the valves 41 and IiA closed during normal operation. The valve Il may be opened to introduce additional matter from the container 52 and the pump It may be4 operated to introducel perfume or other matter from the container 51. l'JLheintroduction of volatile perfumes and like matter into the soap after it has been drawn off from the kettle l and while the soap is in a closed conduit has the distinct advantage of safeguarding the volatiles against evaporation until after the soap is cooled and the danger of evaporation removed. The introduction of other substances after the soap has been withdrawn from the kettle has the advantage that it does not give these substances any opportunity to settle as some of them will tend to do if introduced directly into the kettle I. If some of these substances are introduced directly into the kettle 5 the`contents ofthe kettle will have to be stirred or agitated almost continuously to keep them from settling and this agitation is detrimental to the soap.

I prefer to introduce all of'these substances into the soap line `iust ahead of the low pressure pump because there is some suction in the soap line at this location and the substances may be easily introduced-without pressure and because when the substances are introduced at this location they get the benet of all of thev agitation and mixing to which the soap is subjected in the pump and become very thoroughly and evenly mixed with the soap. They may, however, be introduced at other points in the-"soap line.

In the pump Il a pressure of one thousand pounds per square inch or more is built up and the soap is forced past the relatively long seat of the saponifying valve where a crushing action of the particles of the ingredients takes piace and substantially complete saponiiication is secured. After passing the saponifying valve the pressure drops but preferably does not fall below two hundred pounds per square inch. The soap then flows through the pipe I2, manifold il, space 2l,

pipe 34, pipe I5, and receptacle 3i to the bar the inside a'nd outside thus affording an emcient means for reducing the temperature as low as desired. Il prefer that this temperature should not be more than one hundred forty degrees Fahrenheit when the soap reaches the receptacle '38. This rapid and even cooling of the soap' in the narrow passageway 2li avoidsrgiving heavier matter any chance to settle or volatiles any chance to escape by evaporation and is also beneilcial to the quality of the soap. The soap 'being relatively cool before it enters the oval shaped conduit G0, it is apparent that considerable pressure will be required to extrude the soap through this conduit. This pressure is beneficial as it helps to form a solid and well packed soap colmay set in the passageway 20. Steam may also bev admitted from pipe 4l into the manifold 28.

When apparatus is being put into operation or at any time during the operation of the same it is always possible by reilliion of the valves Il and the soap which is being circulated. During normal operation the valve 39 will ordinarily be ompletely closed.

The following description and accompanying drawing clearly disclose-l a preferred embodiment of my invention but it'will be understood that this disclosure i's merely illustrative and that such changes in the invention may be made as are fairlywithin the scope and spirit of the following claims.

`I claim: l f

l. In apparatus for making bar soap, a soap conditioning kettle, a. low pressure pump, a conduit connecting said low pressure pump with ,the bottom of said soap conditioning kettle, a receptacle for material which is to be added to the soap connected with said conduit, a high pressure pump, a saponifying valve connected with said high pressure pump through which the soap from said high pressure .pump must pass, a soap cooling device, a conduit connecting said soap cooling device with said valve, means for circulating temperature controlling agent throughv said soap cooling device, a soap extruding conduit, and soap conduit means connecting the soappassageways of said soap cooling device with said soap extruding conduit.

2. In apparatus for making bar soap, a soap conditioning kettle, a low pressure pump, a conduit connecting said low pressure pump with the bottom of said soap conditioning kettle, a

39 to return to the kettle 5 any part or all of 25 high pressure pump, a saponifying valve connected'with said high pressure pump through which the soap-from said high pressure pump must pass. a soap cooling device embodying three concentrically disposed pipes, means for circulating temperature controlling agentA through the outermost pipe and the innermost pipe, conduit means lconnecting the medial pipe with said valve whereby soap lmay be passed through the annular passagewayfbetween said medial pipe and said inner pipe, 'a soapextruding conduit having the cross sectional shapefof a'bar of soap, and conduit means connectingthe soap discharge end of said medial pipe with said soap extruding conduit.

3. In apparatus fory making bar soap, .alsoap conditioning kettle. a low pressure pump, aconduitconnectin'g said low pressure pump with the bottom of said soap conditioning kettle. a re-` `ceptacle 'for material which is to be added to the controlling agent through Vthe outermost pipe and the innermost pipe, conduit means connecting the medial pipe with said valve whereby soap maybe passed through the annular passageway between said medial pipe and said inner pipe, a soap ex truding conduit having the cross sectional shape of a bar of soap, and conduit means connecting the soap discharge end of said medial pipe with said soap extruding conduit.

4. In apparatus for making bar soap in one continuous operation, a soap conditioning kettle for molten soap, pump means having a. low pressure intake portion and a high pressure discharge portion, a conduit connecting said low pressure intake portion of said pump means with the bottom of said soap conditioning kettle, a saponifying valve connected with the discharge portion of said pump means; soap cooling means connected with said valve, a soap extruding conduit, a conduit connecting said soap extruding conlduit with said soap cooling means, and soap bar pressure discharge portion, a conduit connecting said low pressure intake portion of said soap conditioning kettle and said pump means, a receptacle for volatile matter which is to be'introduced into said soap, means connecting said receptacle for volatile matter with said conduit between said vkettle and said pump means, a saponiiying valve connecte'd with the discharge portion o! said pump means; soap cooling means connected with said valve, and a soap extruding 'conduit connected with said soap cooling means.

6. In apparatus for making bar soap, a soap conditioning kettle for molten soap, pump means having a. low pressure intake portion and a high pressure discharge portion, a conduit connecting said low pressure intake portion of said soap conditioning kettle and said pump means, a receptacle for additional matter which is to be introduced into said soap, means connecting said receptacle for additional matter with said conduit between said kettle and said pump means, a saponifying valve connected with the discharge portion of said pump means; soap cooling means connected with said valve, a soap extruding conduit connected with said soap cooling means and cut oil' means positioned beyond the end of said soap extruding conduit.

7. In apparatus for making bar soap, in one continuous operation, a soap conditioning kettle tor molten soap, pump means having a low pressure intake portion and a high pressure disduit, a conduit connecting said soap extruding conduit with said soap cooling means, a return conduit connecting said last named conduit with said soap conditioning kettle, and soap bar cut oi! means positioned beyond the discharge end of said soap extruding conduit.

8. In apparatus for making bar soap in one continuous operation, a soap conditioning kettle for molten soap. pump means having a low pressure'intake portion and a high pressure discharge portion, a conduit connecting said low pressure intake portion o! said pump means with the lower portion oi' said soap conditioning kettle, a saponitying valve connected with the discharge portion of said pump means: soap cooling devices connected with said valve, -a soap extruding conduit, a receptacle connected with the intake end of said soap extruding conduit, other conduit means connecting'said receptacle with said soap cooling means, and soap bar cut of! means positioned beyond thedischarge end of said soap l extruding conduit.

WIILIS A. HUTTON. 

